I am enjoying the lovely snow in Baltimore. Our neighborhood was so peaceful yesterday and I got a nice workout shoveling the sidewalk. I spent the day with my family, mostly reading and drinking tea. It was a nice break from our normally full days.
Whenever it snows, I think about how we all need to slow down. Nature gives us this opportunity in winter, yet so many of us resist it. We push ourselves to keep up the pace of activity we created during spring and summer.
The Ayurvedic life is all about creating balance. We find our best health by living in harmony with the cycles of nature. It is easy for me to just make a list of what the appropriate activities are for this time of year, but it is more valuable for you to discover this knowledge yourself. Think for a minute about what our bodies want to do during this winter season. Are we gaining or losing weight? Are we feeling more or less energetic than we did during summer?
Look at the pictures below that go with this post. What qualities do you see? Are there many active creatures? Is it dry, wet, hot, or cold? What is happening in nature when it is cold outside? What are the animals and plants doing? Consider these things before reading on.
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In order to stay healthy, we need to balance the qualities in the environment with our diet, exercise, and daily activities. If it is hot outside, we need more cooling foods. If it is cold, we need heating meals. We also need to take our activity cues from the animals outside. When they are more active, our bodies will be able to handle more physical work. When the creatures are hibernating, our bodies will be more inclined toward mental activity.
What we see in nature lets us know what we should be doing. Winter is time for more mental endeavors, while spring and summer are the times for increased physical activity. Winter is the time for deepening spiritual practices, meditating, and learning new things. It is normal and healthy for us to gain a little weight (5-10 pounds) during this season, and to lose it when springtime comes. Our bodies want to build immunity and insulate our nerves to be protected from the cold weather. We should be mindful of the season and let our bodies conduct their seasonal activities. We should be living in harmony with our bodies instead of fighting them by doing detox and holiday weight loss programs. We achieve our best health by choosing activities and foods that are seasonally appropriate. I don't know about you, but I would much rather be 5 pounds heavier and able to fight off all the winter colds and viruses.
When it is cold outside, we need to create balance by bringing heat into our bodies. Raw foods are cooling and inappropriate during this season. Think about how we all tend to gain weight in the colder weather. Our metabolisms slow down to allow us to conserve our nutritional resources. Raw foods always require the digestion to work harder because our body has to break down the food so we can use the nutrients. Cooking food breaks it down a little bit and makes it easier for us to digest. In the winter when our digestion is naturally slower, we should help ourselves out by eating cooked foods. There is no need to make our bodies work harder than necessary, especially when they are already working to build strong immune systems to fight winter viruses.
Dieting and detoxing right now is like making your body do triple work: in addition to 1)building immunity and 2)preparing the body to deal with cold, a detoxing body makes the kidneys and liver work extra hard to eliminate the toxins being released from the deep tissues. It is more beneficial to detoxify in the springtime, when the season's harvest gives us detoxifying foods in the form of leafy green veggies. In spring, our bodies are ready for detoxifying. Most of us naturally begin to lose our winter weight in the spring because our bodies are ready to let go of things that were stored over the winter. Springtime is the perfect time for a good cleanse, when the natural cycle of our bodies, seasonal influences and seasonal foods support us.
In winter, we need digestive support. The spices we associate with holiday foods, such as ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon, aid digestion during the winter months by bringing heat into the body. Right now, we need a bit more protein in our diets in order to keep the nervous system healthy. We also need healthy fats like olive oil. Not having enough fat and protein in the diet during the winter can cause fatigue, anxiety, lack of mental focus, high sensitivity to the cold, poor circulation, cold hands and feet, tooth sensitivity, feelings of being ungrounded, constipation, gas and bloating, dry skin, and poor immunity.
I typically do emotional cleansing during the winter. In Ayurveda, "emotional cleansing" is really another way of saying "meditation and personal growth practices". This week, I am beginning my own emotional cleanse. The purpose of winter emotional cleansing is to free ourselves from old habits and emotional patterns that no longer serve us. As emotional cleansing is highly personal, I will not be posting all the details here. I will provide some updates about what practices I choose.
If you are looking for ways to be healthier this holiday season, consider the mental and emotional aspects of health. Look for meditation practices and ways to foster connection with the natural flow of life. Deepen your spiritual side. Learn to enjoy being still. Tending to our psychology now gives us better overall health and prepares us for more physical activity when the warmer weather comes.
If anyone out there feels like they could use some emotional cleansing of their own, I am happy to help. I can design a personalized plan based on your individual needs. For details, contact me at: [email protected]
Whenever it snows, I think about how we all need to slow down. Nature gives us this opportunity in winter, yet so many of us resist it. We push ourselves to keep up the pace of activity we created during spring and summer.
The Ayurvedic life is all about creating balance. We find our best health by living in harmony with the cycles of nature. It is easy for me to just make a list of what the appropriate activities are for this time of year, but it is more valuable for you to discover this knowledge yourself. Think for a minute about what our bodies want to do during this winter season. Are we gaining or losing weight? Are we feeling more or less energetic than we did during summer?
Look at the pictures below that go with this post. What qualities do you see? Are there many active creatures? Is it dry, wet, hot, or cold? What is happening in nature when it is cold outside? What are the animals and plants doing? Consider these things before reading on.
**********************************
In order to stay healthy, we need to balance the qualities in the environment with our diet, exercise, and daily activities. If it is hot outside, we need more cooling foods. If it is cold, we need heating meals. We also need to take our activity cues from the animals outside. When they are more active, our bodies will be able to handle more physical work. When the creatures are hibernating, our bodies will be more inclined toward mental activity.
What we see in nature lets us know what we should be doing. Winter is time for more mental endeavors, while spring and summer are the times for increased physical activity. Winter is the time for deepening spiritual practices, meditating, and learning new things. It is normal and healthy for us to gain a little weight (5-10 pounds) during this season, and to lose it when springtime comes. Our bodies want to build immunity and insulate our nerves to be protected from the cold weather. We should be mindful of the season and let our bodies conduct their seasonal activities. We should be living in harmony with our bodies instead of fighting them by doing detox and holiday weight loss programs. We achieve our best health by choosing activities and foods that are seasonally appropriate. I don't know about you, but I would much rather be 5 pounds heavier and able to fight off all the winter colds and viruses.
When it is cold outside, we need to create balance by bringing heat into our bodies. Raw foods are cooling and inappropriate during this season. Think about how we all tend to gain weight in the colder weather. Our metabolisms slow down to allow us to conserve our nutritional resources. Raw foods always require the digestion to work harder because our body has to break down the food so we can use the nutrients. Cooking food breaks it down a little bit and makes it easier for us to digest. In the winter when our digestion is naturally slower, we should help ourselves out by eating cooked foods. There is no need to make our bodies work harder than necessary, especially when they are already working to build strong immune systems to fight winter viruses.
Dieting and detoxing right now is like making your body do triple work: in addition to 1)building immunity and 2)preparing the body to deal with cold, a detoxing body makes the kidneys and liver work extra hard to eliminate the toxins being released from the deep tissues. It is more beneficial to detoxify in the springtime, when the season's harvest gives us detoxifying foods in the form of leafy green veggies. In spring, our bodies are ready for detoxifying. Most of us naturally begin to lose our winter weight in the spring because our bodies are ready to let go of things that were stored over the winter. Springtime is the perfect time for a good cleanse, when the natural cycle of our bodies, seasonal influences and seasonal foods support us.
In winter, we need digestive support. The spices we associate with holiday foods, such as ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon, aid digestion during the winter months by bringing heat into the body. Right now, we need a bit more protein in our diets in order to keep the nervous system healthy. We also need healthy fats like olive oil. Not having enough fat and protein in the diet during the winter can cause fatigue, anxiety, lack of mental focus, high sensitivity to the cold, poor circulation, cold hands and feet, tooth sensitivity, feelings of being ungrounded, constipation, gas and bloating, dry skin, and poor immunity.
I typically do emotional cleansing during the winter. In Ayurveda, "emotional cleansing" is really another way of saying "meditation and personal growth practices". This week, I am beginning my own emotional cleanse. The purpose of winter emotional cleansing is to free ourselves from old habits and emotional patterns that no longer serve us. As emotional cleansing is highly personal, I will not be posting all the details here. I will provide some updates about what practices I choose.
If you are looking for ways to be healthier this holiday season, consider the mental and emotional aspects of health. Look for meditation practices and ways to foster connection with the natural flow of life. Deepen your spiritual side. Learn to enjoy being still. Tending to our psychology now gives us better overall health and prepares us for more physical activity when the warmer weather comes.
If anyone out there feels like they could use some emotional cleansing of their own, I am happy to help. I can design a personalized plan based on your individual needs. For details, contact me at: [email protected]